Last week’s Dubai finalist Lloyd Harris beat two-time junior Grand Slam finalist Emilio Nava 6-4 7-6 (9-7) to claim his first Masters 1000 win in the opening round of the Miami Open.
Lloyd Harris claimed the only break in the fifth game to win the first set 6-4. The South African player went up a break in the third game to take a 2-1 lead. Nava converted her second break-back point to draw level to 5-5. Harris fended off a set point at 6-7 in the tie-break of the second set and won the final three points to clinch the second set.
Last week Harris came through the qualifying round and won seven matches including two wins over Dominic Thiem and Denis Shapovalov to reach his first ATP 500 final. Harris set up a second round match against Roberto Bautista Agut, who has a 10-8 win-loss record in Miami and beat six-time Miami champion Novak Djokovic.
“It was a very difficult match. He is a very tough player. He is a very slow player, so the balls are very slow and the pace of the match is really slow. He has an unbelievable serve, so when I had chances to break, I was putting all my effort and my focus onto those break points. Overall, I am happy with the way I was mentally during the match. There were a couple of shaky moments here and there, and I hung in mentally and came out with a win”, said Harris.
James Duckworth overcame Misha Zverev 6-2 4-6 6-4. Duckworth came back from one break down in the third set and broke for the sixth time in the match in the the final game to seal the decider 6-4. Duckworth set up a second round match against David Goffin.
Ricardas Berankis converted his four break point he created to beat Italian lucky loser Federico Gaio 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 setting up a second round match against German Jan-Lennard Struff. Berankis went up a double break to build up a 5-2. Gaio pulled back both breaks to draw level to 5-5. Both players stayed neck-toneck until 3-3 before Berankis earned the decisive mini-break to claim the tie-break 7-4. Berankis earned two breaks in the sixth and eighth games to close out the second set 6-2.
